What Happened To These Home And Away Stars?

Sienna Forde 7/15/2018

Kate Ritchie-Then

After starting on Home and Away in 1998, Sally Fletcher, played by Kate Richie was amongst the longest running cast members. Fletcher was the good girl who was haunted by her troubled past, which led her to be fostered by Tom and Pippa Fletcher. Sally was one of the few cast members who grew with the show, and she remained on it until 2008. For her role as Fletcher, Richie won plenty of awards for her TV personality on the soap.

Kate Ritchie-Now

Even though Richie officially left Home and Away in 2008, she reprised her role as Sally Fletcher for a brief appearance in 2013. However, Richie seemed to divert from soaps and instead went onto appear on a radio show called Kate, Tim & Marty on Nova. Richie went on to marry George Illawarra Dragons player, Stuart Webb in 2010, but a magazine falsely claimed they had the rights to the wedding photos, a story which they fabricated. In 2014, she welcomed a daughter with husband, Stuart.

Chris Hemsworth-Then

Chris Hemsworth was always the good-looking hunk as he was cast as Kim Hyde, the gorgeous high school drop-out, who all the ladies had their eye on. Hemsworth first appeared on Home and Away in 2004 after being rejected for the part of Robert Hunter previously, before producers asked him back as Hyde. The surfer stole the hearts of many of the girls on Summer Bay, but Hyde’s player nature left many of his ex-love interests furious at his actions.

Chris Hemsworth-Now

When Hemsworth left the show in 2007, he went on to pursue a hugely successful career in Hollywood. Hemsworth went on to appear in films including Star Trek, Snow White and the Huntsman, however, Hemsworth is best-known for his role as superhero Thor 2011 Marvel Studios film Thor which became a huge box office hit. Off-screen, Hemsworth is also known for his good looks, and in 2014, he was named as People magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive.” Chris has been married to Elsa Pataky since 2010.

Kristy Wright-Then

Kristy Wright portrayed the very troubled Chloe Richards, who appeared to have a very turbulent life. To begin with, Richards was adopted after being abandoned by her father, and in a ripple effect, she ended up turning to substances to cover her pain. Things got worse for Richards as she was assaulted at a party, needless to say, she had a very dark time during her four years on the show. Wright returned in 2005 and tragically died from a car crash.

Kristy Wright-Now

Following her difficult time on Home and Away, Wright went onto star in films including Chuck Finn, Above the Law and Something in the Air. Following this, Wright went on to star in American television in Beastmaster as a ninja warrior. In addition, Wright had a minor role as the handmaiden Moteé in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. However, after moving to Los Angeles in 2006, Wright later realized that she wanted to focus on her family and not acting.

Roger Oakley-Then

Tom Fletcher played patriarch Roger Oakley, and he was one of the original cast on Home and Away in 1988. Tom was the foster father of Kate Ritchie, as he and wife Pippa were told that Pippa would have a very high-risk pregnancy if she were to fall pregnant. However, later on, Pippa discovered that she was pregnant with Tom’s baby and they had a healthy baby boy together. Tom eventually died in a car crash, leaving his family devastated.

Roger Oakley-Now

Oakley has been acting for over 50-years and following his role on Home and Away, Roger appeared on fellow Australian soap Neighbours, followed by The Hollowmen, and Winners And Losers in 2013. In recent years, Oakley moved away from TV and went on to appear in a number of theater productions including My Fair Lady, The NightWatchman, Circle Mirror Transformation and The Golden Dragon. Nonetheless, Oakley will always be best remembered as Tom Fletcher on Home and Away.

Adam Willits-Then

Adam Willits played foster child Steven Matheson on Home and Away from 1988 until 1991. Throughout his time on the show, Matheson was known as the heartthrob who wasn’t afraid of going after older girls and loved playing his love interests off of one another. However, things ended up taking a bad turn for Willits and after he found love with Selina, the two were set to marry. However, everything went downhill when she ended up leaving him at the altar.

Adam Willits-Now

Shortly after Willits’ time on Home and Away, he decided to take advantage of his heartthrob status and appear in other TV shows including All Saints, and Hampton Court. However, Adam was not as lucky as some of the other cast who went onto do big things in their careers following the soap. In fact, Willits turned in the showbiz life and went for a more normal career. Today he works in insurance, which is a far cry from his days on the show.

Sharyn Hodgson-Then

Sharyn Hodgson played the part of Carly Morris, the troubled teen on Home and Away. She started on the show in 1988 and stayed for a couple of seasons, going through everything from abuse, neglect, alcoholism and relationship troubles. In addition, Sharon was also responsible for playing the role of Carly’s twin sister, Samantha Morris, being the only cast member to take on two roles within the show. Carly eventually left Summer Bay to begin a family elsewhere.

Sharyn Hodgson-Now

Even though Sharyn departed Home and Away in 1991, she went on to make cameos later on in the show, visiting her foster family or attending events in the Bay. The last time Hodgson appeared on the show was in 2008. However, Sharyn also decided to shun the limelight in favor of a normal life, away from TV. Hodgson now works as a natural therapist and childcare worker, living on the NSW south coast with her husband Bruce and three children.

Sheila Kennelly-Then

Sheila Kennelly was one of the original cast who played Floss McPhee on Home and Away from 1988 to 1989 and having recurring guest appearances from 2000 until 2008. Floss was known for being married to her husband of 38 years, Neville McPhee and the two lived in a gypsy style wagon at the Summer Bay caravan park. However, the on-screen couple were forced to leave the show in 1989 when producers decided they wanted to go in a different direction and bring in a younger cast.

Sheila Kennelly-Now

Kennelly has been in the industry long before she scored a role on Home and Away, and she starred in a number of soaps in the 70s. Initially, she became a household name in soap opera Number 96, where she remained for four and a half years. However, after Sheila left Home and Away, she went onto appear in TV series All Saints, from 2001 until 2007. Kennelly has beat the odds and managed to rack up over 50 years in the industry.

Nicolle Dickson-Then

Nicolle played the part of rebellious, trouble-making teen, Bobby Simpson from the start of Home and Away in 1988. Bobby had quite the rough time on the show, and much of her journey was filled with turmoil as she constantly tried to search for her biological parents, sparking a famous feud with Roo Stewart and having relationships which turned a few eyebrows, to say the least. Perhaps Bobby’s most questionable move was when she married her foster brother Frank Morgan.

Nicolle Dickson-Now

Dickson’s character Bobby left the show in 1993 when she was killed off by a boating accident. However, Simpson returned in a small role as a ghost in 1995. Nonetheless, this was the last that we saw of Nicolle Dickson and despite having big dreams and getting into acting at the age of 18 and being hailed as one of the best young soap stars, she shunned the spotlight and went to complete a masters in accountancy. Eventually, she become an accountant and bookkeeper.

Heath Ledger-Then

Heath Ledger first appeared on the soap as Scott Irwin in 1997, and although Sally was interested in the bad boy, Scott was more interested in using her to cheat on his school tests. However, when Sally realized what Scott had done, she was ashamed of her behavior when she discovered that he had used her. When Scott was eventually caught out for the cheating in his studies, not only did he lose Sally, he also lost his place in the school and was expelled.

Heath Ledger-Now

After Ledger’s appearance in Home and Away, he went on to star in Hollywood films including A Knight’s Tale, Brokeback Mountain, and The Dark Knight. Ledger went on to be nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role and for the Academy Award for Best Actor, for his portrayal of Ennis Del Mar in Brokeback Mountain. Sadly, Ledger was found dead in 2008 after an overdose at the young age of 28-years-old, Hollywood hailed the actors achievements in his short career.

Norman Coburn-Then

Norman Coburn played Donald Fisher, the harsh headmaster of Summer Bay High School, who was less than favorable among his students, who labelled him “Flathead.” Fisher would do anything in his power to get students that he disliked, removed from the school, as well as trying to get Bobby put in jail, prior to finding out she was his love child. From the outset of the series, fans unimpressed by Fisher as he insulted foster father Tom Fletcher’s military past.

Norman Coburn-Now

Following his role on Home and Away, Norman only appeared in one episode of TV show The Hollowmen, in 2008, before hanging up his acting shoes for good. Norman now resides Tasmania’s Bruny Island, and he admitted that he still keeps in touch with co-star and Home and Away veteran Ray Meagher, who is still starring on the show. Fans were thrilled to see the nasty headteacher gone from the show, but his nasty nature was a testament to Norman’s acting.

Vanessa Downing-Then

Vanessa played Pippa Fletcher, the kind-hearted and compassionate foster mother, who was determined to foster as many children as possible on her two-year stint on Home and Away. However, in the show, things took a turn for Pippa when her husband Tom Fletcher was killed off, meaning that she was left looking for different direction and a new passion. When Vanessa left the show, Debra Lawrance ended up taking over her role as Pippa in popular soap.

Vanessa Downing-Now

Part of the reason that Vanessa left Home and Away was to pursue her love of theater, and wanted to have a career in law. She ended up graduating as a solicitor in 2006 and is quite happy balancing her roles in TV, in between her career as a lawyer. We saw Vanessa return to Summer Bay as Pippa in different milestones on the show. Recently, she appeared in a guest spot on The Moodys as Robin Benson.

Emily Symons – Then

Emily Symons played the part of Marilyn Chambers, starting in 1989 and was known as the girl next door who was a bit ditzy. Marilyn had her ups and downs on the show in her relationships and had a turbulent marriage and divorce to Donald Fisher. However things turned around when she met Phil Bryant, a 40-year-old who calmed her down. Symons also went through her fair share of struggles as her son Byron died and she battled cancer.

Emily Symons – Now

Emily Symons couldn’t seem to close the door on Home and Away and she appeared in the show from 1989–1992, 1995–1999, 2001, and 2010 onwards. From 2001 until 2008, Symons was cast as Louise Appleton in British soap Emmerdale, and in 2007, she took part in ice-skating competition Dancing On Ice. In her personal life, Emily was married to Nick Lipscombe from 1992 until 1994 and Lorenzo Smith from 2003 until 2005. In 2015, Emily gave birth to a baby boy with her long-term partner Paul Jackson, but the couple split soon after welcoming their son.

Rebecca Cartwright – Then

Cartwright played the role of Hayley Smith, the daughter of Ken and Eve. After Ken descended into alcoholism and Eve suffered psychological problems, Hayley was sent away to care with her siblings, but later ran away. Hayley had a number of relationships on the show, including a love triangle with Sam Marshall and Mitch McCroll. Hayley struggled with the death of her father and failed school as a result. She eventually had a baby with Scott Hunter and they ran off to France together.

Rebecca Cartwright – Now

Following Home and Away, Cartwright turned to music and recorded a number of singles after signing with Warner Music Australia and East West Records. Her debut album was released in 2003 and was certified gold. In 2004, Rebecca took part in Dancing With The Stars and went on to win the first season of the Australian show. In 2009, Cartwright gave birth to a baby girl and signed a deal with Woman’s Day magazine to document her daughter’s life in the magazine, which was met with criticism.

Lincoln Lewis – Then

Lewis played the role of Geoff Campbell on Home and Away and finally got a part in the show after auditioning for two years. Campbell was the innocent, honest and sensible teenager, raised by his religious grandfather on a farm after his parent’s death. Geoff’s first love interest was Melody Jones, before he moved onto Nicole Franklin who he lost his virginity to while stranded on a desert island. Geoff ended up departing Summer Bay to follow his dream of becoming a missionary.

Lincoln Lewis – Now

After Lewis’ departure from Home and Away, he appeared in Paramount Pictures action adventure film Tomorrow, When the War Began. In 2011, he was given a four-week stint in Neighbors, but when he was asked to stay, he declined in order to take on other opportunities. In 2012, Lewis landed his first big US role in After Earth, starring Will and Jaden Smith. Most recently in 2017, Lewis appeared as a celebrity contestant on the Australian version of Hell’s Kitchen.

Dieter Brummer-Then

Brummer played the part of reformed bad boy Shane Parrish, who was well known on Home and Away for stealing cars, setting fire to different things, and generally causing a ruckus in Summer Bay. Despite Brummer being involved in dangerous motorcycle accidents and other life-threatening accidents, he ended up dying from cutting himself on a rusty nail. Shane was married to Angel Parrish, but his son wasn’t born until after Shane’s untimely death. The storyline broke up one of fans’ favorite couples.

Dieter Brummer-Now

As it turns out, Dieter Brummer wasn’t so far from his on-screen personality of Shane as in 2012, it was reported that he avoided a criminal conviction after starting a fight and behaving badly while intoxicated. In 2007, Dieter’s mother revealed that the actor was cleaning houses in between finding roles for acting. Nonetheless, Brummer continues to act today in smaller roles, and his more recent appearances include roles in Neighbours, Winners And Losers and Underbelly: The Golden Mile.

Cornelia Frances-Then

Cornelia Frances plays the role of Morag Bellingham in Home and Away and has been appearing on the show on and off for 20 years. Morag was known on the show as a magistrate, as well as the sister of Alf and Celia. She was even known as the “snootiest” of the Stewart sisters, as she was never one to hold her tongue. Her feistiness managed to ruffle quite a few feathers within Summer Bay, which fans seemed to like.

Cornelia Frances-Now

Home and Away was not the only TV show that Cornelia was known for. She also appeared as the part of Barbara Hamilton on Sons and Daughters, and also has a part on The Young Doctors. In addition, Frances has also hosted the Australian version of quiz show The Weakest Link, however in 2011, she took quite a different turn with her career and turned to advocacy work. She became the first ambassador for the Australian Orangutan Project. Unfortunately, Frances was diagnosed with cancer.

Lyn Collingwood-Then

Lyn Collingwood played the role of Colleen Smart from the 36th episode of Home and Away in 1988. Colleen was the half-sister of Alf Stewart, Morag Bellingham, Celia Stewart, Debra Stewart and Barbara Fisher. Colleen was known around Summer Bay as the gossiper and loved to know the ins and outs of other peoples love lives. Colleen had appearances on the show in 1988, 1997, and from 1999 until 2012. Other than one more appearance, Collingwood retired from Home and Away.

Lyn Collingwood-Now

Prior to appearing in Home and Away, Collingwood appeared as Gina Gomez in the iconic movie Scarface, in 1983. Although the movie was a far cry from Home and Away, her role on the soap is what she is best remembered for, having appeared on it for 13 years. Her most recent role was on A Country Practice, where she appeared from 1987 until 1990. However, what Lyn has been up to in recent years seems to be unknown, with many suspecting she stopped acting.

Judy Nunn-Then

Judy Nunn played the role of Alf Stewart’s wife Ailsa on Home and Away from the very first episode of the show in 1988. Alf and Ailsa were seen as an inseparable couple in Summer Bay, but Ailsa was known for not putting up with Alf’s nonsense. Things got difficult for Ailsa when she was attacked in The Diner at night, and her ordeal got worse when she began hallucinating. Ailsa died from a heart attack in 2000, which shook Summer Bay.

Judy Nunn-Now

After leaving Summer Bay and Home and Away, Judy Nunn took a completely different turn with her career and pursued writing. Initially, Nunn wrote two adventure novels for children, Eye in the Storm and Eye in the City, before going on to write novels The Glitter Game, Centre Stage and Araluen. All three books became bestsellers, and Judy established herself as a serious author. More recently, she wrote Tiger Men in 2011, Elianne in 2013 and Spirits of the Ghan in 2015.

Isla Fisher-Then

Isla Fisher made her first appearance as Shannon Reed in 1994 alongside her brother Curtis. The gorgeous red-head managed to stir things up between some of the couples in Summer Bay. However, Shannon’s three-year run ended when she revealed she was bisexual and moving away to live with her partner.

Isla Fisher-Now

After Home and Away, Isla’s career boomed and Fisher went on to become an A-list Hollywood actress, starring in films including Confessions of a Shopaholic, Wedding Crashers, Bachelorette and The Great Gatsby, alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Toby Maguire. Isla is also one half of a high profile Hollywood couple as she is married to actor Sacha Baron Cohen. Prior to marrying Cohen in 2010, Fisher converted to Judaism and the couple went on to have three children together.

Debra Lawrance-Then

Debra Lawrance played Pippa Ross on Home and Away from 1990 until 1998 and was one of the original cast members. Pippa was known for her relationship with Tom and their struggles in having a baby and then dealing with the death of her child. Her struggles as a mother really hit home with audiences, and she was one of the most loved characters on the show. Therefore, when she decided to leave, producers chose to re-cast her character, instead of killing her off.

Debra Lawrence-Now

Since leaving the show, Debra was another cast member who didn’t want to close the door on Home and Away , and she made a number of appearances, her most recent in 2009. She later acted as Reverend Grace Curtis on Blue Heelers, and from 2013 until 2016, she played Rose, in the comedy-drama Please Like Me. In 2017, she diverted from her career in acting as she appeared on Hell’s Kitchen Australia, and eventually went on to win the show.

Stephen Peacocke – Then

February 2011 was when Stephen Peacocke first appeared on Home and Away as the maverick that is Darryl Braxton. He was one-third of the River Boys, who also consisted of brothers Heath and Casey. “Brax,” as he was formally known, got into a variety of messy storylines. However, it was his relationship with Charlie Buckton that was, without a doubt, his most significant. However, she passed on, and Darryl started cage-fighting to help him get over her. He left the show in 2016.

Stephen Peacocke – Now

The man who will forever be etched in Home and Away lore as Brax has finally landed his big break in the world of acting. The same year that Peacocke left the soap opera saw him star alongside Khaleesi herself, Emilia Clarke, in the film Me Before You. However, the actor was back on Aussie TV soon enough, landing a role in the show Wanted. Despite being a popular character, with many clinging onto a possible return from Peacocke, he has confirmed that he will never come back.

Tammin Sursok – Then

Many stars from Home and Away have done nothing else before being on the Aussie soap. Tammin Sursok is a fine example, with her role as Dani Sutherland being her very first. Like many of the young ladies on the show, Dani had numerous compelling storylines. Probably the one that stood out the most was when she was the subject of abuse, before running over her assailant in a fit of revenge. Dani left the show in 2004.

Tammin Sursok – Now

Although Dani’s engagement to Scott came to an end in 2004, Tammin Sursok has been in a variety shows such as The Young and the Restless, Hannah Montana and Aquamarine, to name a few. For the former, she was nominated for an Emmy nomination back in 2008! Probably her most notable role came in 2010 when she played the character Jenna Marshall in the hit mystery show Pretty Little Liars. Sursok has been married to Sean McEwen since 2011 and had a child together.

Nic Testoni – Then

One of the more notable characters on Home and Away during the late 90s was certainly Travis Nash, who was played masterfully by Nic Testoni. A stereotypical surfer boy, Nash was the guy that all the girls wanted to be with and all the men wanted to be. However, Nash got a health scare when his girlfriend noticed that he had melanoma. It seems like the surgery changed Travis’ personality and he became a much more reserved individual.

Nic Testoni – Now

Despite showing so much promise on Home and Away, Nic Testoni has only had one role since, on the TV show BeastMaster. “I wanted to try other things and move behind the camera,” Testoni said in an interview. “I studied filmmaking in New York and returned to make a documentary on Aboriginal art for ABC TV.” However, Nic’s filmmaking dream hasn’t been fully realized and since 2016 he has been working for an events company. He also hosts a radio show.

Melissa George-Then

After being a model, Melissa George transitioned into acting and got her breakthrough in Home and Away in 1993, portraying Angel Parrish. On the show, Angel quickly got into a relationship with Shane Parrish, and the two became one of the fans’ favorite couples. However, like many of the romances on the show, it didn’t last as Shane died and Angel went on to find love with Simon Broadhurst. Eventually, the couple decided to leave Summer Bay and relocate to England together.

Melissa George-Now

After Melissa left Home and Away in 1996, she moved to the U.S. and went on to appear in TV shows including Friends, Alias, In Treatment, Grey’s Anatomy and Lie to Me. George also appeared in films including The Amityville Horror, the thriller Turistas and the vampire horror film 30 Days of Night. Later in 2012, George starred as Rosie in the Australian TV series The Slap, followed by appearing and Sam Hunter in the British TV series Hunted. She was also cast in the American version.

Jodi Gordon-Then

Jodi Gordon played Martha MacKenzie for five years on Home and Away, first popping up as Roo Stewart and Brett Macklin illegitimate baby in 1988. However, they ended up giving her up for adoption shortly after her birth. However, in 2005, MacKenzie returned and turned plenty of heads on Summer Bay, going on to stay on the show for five years. She quickly became a fan favorite and won a number of awards including, “Most Popular New Female Talent” in 2006.

Jodi Gordon-Now

After leaving Home and Away in 2010, Gordon appeared in the eighth season of Dancing With The Stars won her first film role in The Cup, followed by appearing in Any Questions for Ben? in 2011. Jodi has also appeared in appeared in Underbelly: Badness and Camp, and in 2016 it was announced that Gordon was making a return to soaps. However, it turned out that she had been cast in the role of school teacher Elly Conway in Neighbours.

Ray Meagher-Then

When people think of Home and Away, they immediately think of Alf Stewart, one of the original cast members. Stewart has had his fair share of ups and downs during his 30-year run on the show, whether it is from suffering PTSD, losing his wife, reuniting with long-lost family members and being hustled by fraudsters. Although he got through everything, a recent storyline sees Alf being left for dead, leaving fans to question if it is the end of the line for him.

Ray Meagher-Now

Ray Meagher continues to star on Home and Away, making him the only original cast member left, and the longest continuing performer in an Australian television. Meagher won the Gold Logie Award in 2010 for his role on the soap. Outside of TV shows, Ray has also taken on the role of Bob the mechanic in Priscilla Queen of the Desert, in both 2007 and 2010 until 2011. Due to his fame in the UK, he has also taken on parts in traditional Christmas pantomimes.